Our focus at NoNoHitters.com is Mets no hitters - or more accurately, the lack thereof - but we also have an affinity for hits-for-the-cycle as the feat of hitting a single, double, triple and home run in a single game is a slightly more rare feat than a no hitter.

There have been 270 no hitters thrown in Major League history, while players have had 253 hits for cycle during that period. As we all know, nine Mets have hit for the cycle during their 46 years of existence, while no Mets have every hurled a no no.

So we have to offer kudos to former Met Carlos Gomez, who hit for the cycle Wednesday night during the Minnesota Twins 13-1 pummeling of the Chicago White Sox. The speedy centerfielder - traded to the Twins in the Johan Santana deal - did it in reverse order, beginning with a homer and working his way back to a single by barely beating a throw for an infield hit.

Way to go Carlos!

Jose Reyes tried to extend an eighth-inning triple into an inside-the-park home run Friday night, nearly becoming the first New York Met to hit for the cycle more than once.

It would have been the 10th hit-for-cycle by a Met in their 46 year history, but Reyes failed to slide and got tagged out at the plate. The New York Giants’ “Harry the Horse” Danning was the last player to end a hit-for-cycle with an inside-the-park home run on June 14, 1940.

Still, 4-for-5 (with some nice plays in the field) is not a bad night:

• First inning, triple to deep right
• Second inning, double to deep center
• Fourth inning, ground out to short
• Sixth inning, single to left
• Eighth inning, triple to center (with a failed attempt to extend it into an inside-the-park homer)

Reyes last hit for the cycle on June 21, 2006, when he went 4-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored at Shea against the Cincinnati Reds. The Mets wound up losing that game in the ninth 6-5.

We have a special affinity for hits for the cycle here, as leaguewide they’re actually a slightly more rare feat than a no hitter. (See our comparison page) However, as we all know, the no hitter in Mets country is the rarest feat of all. It’s never happened.

Here are the Mets’ nine hits for cycle:

• Jim Hickman, Aug. 7, 1963
• Tommie Agee, July 6, 1970
• Mike Phillips, June 25, 1976
• Keith Hernandez, July 4, 1985
• Kevin McReynolds, Aug. 1, 1989
• Alex Ochoa, July 3, 1996
• John Olerud, Sept. 11, 1997
• Eric Valent, July 29, 2004
• Jose Reyes, June 21, 2006

We all know that no New York Mets pitcher has ever thrown a no hitter.

So why have nine Mets been able to accomplish a feat that’s slightly rarer than a no hitter?

A batter “hits for cycle” when he gets a single, double, triple and home run in the same game. There have been just 252 hits for cycle in Major League history, yet there’s been 270 no hitters thrown during that same period.

The Mets who have hit for cycle are Jim Hickman (Aug. 7, 1963), Tommie Agee (July 6, 1970), Mike Phillips (June 25, 1976), Keith Hernandez (July 4, 1985), Kevin McReynolds (Aug. 1, 1989), Alex Ochoa (July 3, 1996), John Olerud (Sept. 11, 1997), Eric Valent (July 29, 2004) and Jose Reyes (June 21, 2006).

We’ve prepared a
side-by-side comparison of these two rare feats and added it to our static pages.